Japanese Arctic Strategy and Russia’s Interests

Speaking at the Carnegie event held in Moscow, Kazuko Shiraishi, the Japanese Ambassador in charge of Arctic Affairs, outlined the Japanese Arctic policy, which was adopted in October 2015, and the prospects of Japanese-Russian cooperation in the Arctic region. She was joined by Dmitry Pristanskov, the head of federal and regional programs at Norilsk Nickel, and Konstantin Kuzovkov, the vice president of FESCO, who shared perspectives from their industries on the development of the Arctic region.

The conversation addressed:​

• the overlapping national interests of Moscow and Tokyo in the Arctic; 
   
• possible opportunities and roadblocks for Japanese investment in the development of the Northern Sea Route;
   
• business projects in the Russian Arctic, as well as security challenges and ways to mitigate them.

The chair of Carnegie’s Russia in the Asia-Pacific Program, Alexander Gabuev, moderated.

Kazuko Shiraishi

Kazuko Shiraishi is Ambassador in charge of Arctic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. 

Dmitry Pristanskov

Dmitry Pristanskov is the head of federal and regional programs at Norilsk Nickel.

Konstantin Kuzovkov

Konstantin Kuzovkov is the vice president of FESCO.

Alexander Gabuev

Alexander Gabuev is a senior associate and the chair of the Russia in the Asia-Pacific Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center.